The story of James Cook and why the Aborigines ate him. Seven facts about the Aborigines who killed the kuk Who ate the kuk

Narine Prazyan, RIA Novosti.

The name of James Cook is etched in the memory of millions of Russians thanks to Vladimir Vysotsky’s song “One Scientific Riddle, or Why Did the Aborigines Eat Cook?” Not many people probably know that he is the largest British explorer, cartographer and navigator, who led two trips around the world and made a number of outstanding geographical discoveries. The Cook Islands archipelago, a number of bays and bays, as well as the strait between the two islands of New Zealand bear the name of this famous Briton.

James Cook was born exactly 280 years ago - on October 27, 1728 in the English county of South Yorkshire into a poor Scottish family. He began his sailor's career at the age of 18, when he was hired as a cabin boy on a merchant coal-mining brig. Even then, he spent a lot of time reading books on geography, navigation, mathematics and astronomy. At the age of 27, Cook enlisted in the Royal Navy, and two years later he was appointed captain on his first ship, the Pembroke.

James Cook went down in history and brought glory to himself and the English crown thanks to three expeditions, two of which were around the world. After their completion, Cook was promoted to captain of the 1st rank for his outstanding discoveries, and on February 29, 1776 he became a member of the Royal Society of London.

Cook made his first circumnavigation of the world in 1768-1771. on the ship Endeavor. His goal was to search for the so-called Southern Continent (or Terra Incognita). During this expedition, Cook proved that New Zealand consists of two islands, discovering a strait between them, which was named after him. Before this, it was believed that New Zealand was part of an unknown continent. In addition, he discovered the Great Barrier Reef, and also explored and mapped the eastern coast of Australia, which had previously been virtually unexplored.

The second circumnavigation of the world began in 1772. This time, the expedition was allocated two ships - Resolution and Adventure. As a result of this journey, James Cook became the first navigator in history to cross the Antarctic Circle. During the second expedition, Cook landed in New Zealand and visited Tahiti, the Tonga, Easter, and Marquesas Islands. New Caledonia and South Georgia were discovered, but this time it was not possible to reach Antarctica.

The main goal of Cook's third expedition was to search for the so-called Northwest Passage connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The expedition was again allocated two ships - Resolution and Discovery. Cook's team explored the ocean right up to the beginning of the Arctic ice, but never discovered the passage. But in 1778, while crossing the Pacific Ocean, Cook made his main discovery - the Hawaiian Islands, where he was later destined to find his death.

In addition, during his last expedition, Cook explored the North Pacific coast of America, discovered Christmas Island, Kerguelen Island and some other islands.

There are different versions of how Captain James Cook died. It is reliably known that this happened in the Hawaiian Islands, where Cook was initially mistaken for the god Lono, whose return was predicted by Polynesian legends. Therefore, the aborigines greeted the expedition with magnificent ceremonial celebrations. However, such warm relations between the members of the expedition and the Hawaiians did not last long. According to one of the popular versions, Cook's team did not get along with the Hawaiians because one fine day the islanders stole the longboat of one of the ships. As a result, Cook decided to take one of the local chiefs hostage in order to force the Hawaiians to return the stolen property.

A countless crowd of angry natives gathered in arms to defend their leader and surrounded Cook and his team. The belligerence of the islanders forced Cook to fire his musket, and a skirmish ensued in which James Cook was killed. Four more sailors died along with him, the rest managed to retreat to the ship.

After Cook's death, Captain Clark, who took command of the expedition, demanded that the islanders hand over the body of the deceased captain. But they did not agree, and the British had to use force - to drive the Hawaiians into the mountains and burn their village. Only after this did the natives send part of the remains and the head of James Cook to the ship - all that remained of the great navigator. On February 22, 1779, Cook's remains were buried at sea.

There is another version, according to which the aborigines dealt with Cook’s body in accordance with local customs: the body was dismembered, and the bones were tied together and buried secretly so that no one could abuse them. Such a ritual is evidence of the highest honor on the part of the Hawaiians, and Cook, according to the testimony of some of his contemporaries, enjoyed very high respect among them.

But whether the aborigines actually ate the body of the famous navigator is still not known for certain. One of the few evidence of this is the words of Vysotsky’s famous song. But the song is a joke...

Painting by George Carter "The Death of Captain James Cook"

We once discussed the topic of, but it seems to me that it intersects with another very popular topic. Remember Vysotsky? Why did the aborigines eat Cook?

People usually know about the captain and talented cartographer James Cook that he was an explorer of the southern seas who was killed and eaten by the aborigines. Contrary to popular belief, he was not eaten, or at least it was not a key moment in the tragedy that unfolded from January 16 to February 14, 1779 in Hawaii.

What happened there then? Now we will read about this...

Call of the Sea

Captain James Cook was born on October 27, 1728 in a small Yorkshire village. Since childhood, he dreamed of becoming a navigator. At seventeen, Cook became a worker in a grocery store. But after some time, he asked to be an apprentice to shipowners, the Walker brothers, who were engaged in the transportation of coal.

For almost ten years he sailed on coasters carrying coal. In between flights, Cook pored over piles of books on mathematics, navigation, and astronomy. Not a drop of alcohol and no women. As a result, John Walker appreciated Cook's endurance and hard work and offered him the position of assistant captain. After another three years, the brothers decided to make James captain. But they could not keep the capable young man near them. In 1755, at the age of 27, James became a first-class sailor in the navy.

This was followed by several years of hard labor, a long war with France and, finally, the stripes of a sergeant major - at 32 years old.

First expeditions

Cook began the journey from Plymouth in August 1768. There were 94 people on board the Endeavor, which included crew members and scientists. Already in April of the following year they reached Tahiti, where the locals happily welcomed the sailors. Cook then went to the shores of New Zealand, where he met Maori tribes with war canoes. Afterwards there were the shores of Tasmania and the east coast of Australia. The ship "Endeavour" almost crashed on coral reefs, but Cook's crew members coped with the danger.

While sailing off the coast of Batavia (modern Jakarta), many crew members died of fever. Cook managed to prevent the spread of the disease by maintaining perfect cleanliness on board. In 1771, after a three-year journey, Cook returned to England. Of the crew, only 56 crew members were able to set foot on their native soil.

Trip around the world

A year after the first voyage, the decision was made to begin a second voyage under Cook's command. The captain and his crew had to travel around the world in the latitudes of Antarctica on two ships similar to the Endeavor.
During this voyage, Cook first tried a marine clock (chronometer), which was created by John Harrison and proved to be very accurate.

"The Death of Captain Cook" (John Webber, 1784)

During the year (from January 1773), Cook's ships entered the Arctic Circle several times, but due to severe cold they were forced to return back. After this, Cook went to New Zealand, where he traded with the Maori tribes. He then returned to Tahiti and explored the Melanesian and Polynesian islands before sailing to England via South Africa. During this journey, many of Cook's crew died from disease, and some were killed during encounters with Maori tribes.
After this voyage, James Cook was promoted and became captain of the ship with the rank of captain, granted by King George III of England.

Fatal Expedition

Cook's ships left the English port of Plymouth on their last voyage in 1776. The mission of the expedition was to find the Northwest Passage between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in North America.

Cook sailed around the Cape of Good Hope, crossed the Indian Ocean and visited New Zealand and Tahiti. His path lay to the North - the British Parliament promised the crew of the ship that would make the discovery 20,000 pounds sterling - a fortune at that time. At dawn on January 18, 1778, Cook saw land: it was the island of Oahu (one of the eight islands of the Hawaiian archipelago). A strong headwind prevented the ships from approaching the island and carried them northwest to the island of Kauai.

The ships dropped anchor in Waimea Bay. The ruling leader decided to send his representatives on board. When they boarded the ship, they were horrified: they mistook the officers’ English cocked hats for triangular heads. Cook gave a dagger to one of the high leaders who boarded the ship. The impression was so strong that the leader announced a new name for his daughter - Dagger.
Subsequently, Cook walked unarmed among the Hawaiians, who greeted him as the highest leader. They fell prostrate on the ground at his approach and offered him gifts of food, mats and burl (material made from the bark of trees).

Death of Cook. Canvas by the Anglo-German artist Johann Zoffany (1795)

Hawaiians excitedly discussed the enormous wealth of foreigners. Some were eager to grab the iron objects they saw on the deck, but the tall shaman warned them not to do so. He himself was unsure whether to classify foreigners as gods or mere mortals. In the end, he decided to conduct a simple test: offer women to the strangers. If the British agree, then they are clearly not gods, but mere mortals. The British, naturally, failed the exam, but many Hawaiians still had their doubts.

Two weeks later, having rested and replenished their food supply, the ships left for the north. But already at the end of November 1778, Cook returned to Hawaii. After some time, Kalaniopuu, the ruler of the island of Hawaii, appeared on board. He generously supplied Cook with food supplies and all kinds of gifts. Every day, hundreds of Hawaiians climbed aboard both ships. Sometimes there were so many of them that it was impossible to work. From time to time the natives stole metal objects. These minor, although annoying, thefts were not paid attention to.
As the ships were repaired and food supplies replenished, some Hawaiians became increasingly convinced that the British were mere mortals. They politely hinted to the sailors that it was time and honor to know, and that they would be able to visit the islands during the next harvest, when there would be plenty of food again.

On February 4, 1779, four weeks after the ships entered Kealakekua Bay, Cook ordered the anchor to be raised. The Hawaiians watched with satisfaction as the British left. However, on the very first night the ships were caught in a storm and the front mast of the Resolution cracked. It was necessary to return. Cook knew only one convenient bay nearby - Kealakekua.

When the ships entered the familiar bay, its shores were deserted. A boat sent ashore returned with the news that King Kalaniopuu had imposed a taboo on the entire bay. Such taboos were common in Hawaii. Typically, after the land and its resources had been used up, the chiefs would forbid entry for a period of time to allow the sea and land resources to recover.

The British felt growing anxiety, but they needed to repair the mast. The next day the king visited the bay and greeted the British friendly, but the mood of the Hawaiians had already somehow changed. The initial warmth of the relationship gradually melted away. In one case, things almost came to a scuffle when the chiefs ordered the Hawaiians not to help a crew that had gone ashore for water. The six sailors guarding the work on shore were ordered to load their guns with bullets instead of shot. Cook and his trusted officer James King went ashore to settle a dispute over water between the crew and the islanders. They barely had time to resolve the controversial issue when they heard the sound of musket fire in the direction of the Discovery ship. A canoe was rushing from the ship towards the shore. The Hawaiians sitting in it rowed their oars furiously. Obviously they stole something. Cook, King and one sailor made an unsuccessful attempt to catch the thieves. When they returned to shore, they learned that the Discovery's boatswain had decided to go ashore and seize the thieves' canoe. As it turned out, the canoe belonged to a friend of the British, Chief Palea. When Palea demanded his canoe back, an altercation ensued, during which the chief was hit on the head with an oar. The Hawaiians rushed at the British, and they were forced to take refuge among the rocks on the shore. Fortunately, Palea restored order and the rivals presumably parted as friends.

At dawn the next day, the British discovered that the boat, tied to a buoy a dozen yards from the ship, had disappeared. Cook was furious because she was the best on board. He ordered the bay to be blocked so that no canoe could leave it. Cook, Lieutenant Phillips and nine Marines went ashore. Cook's task was to meet with King Kalaniopuu. He was going to use a plan that had never failed him under similar circumstances in other parts of the ocean: he would invite Kalaniopuu on board and keep him there until his subjects returned the boat.

Cook observes human sacrifice in Tahiti (1773)

Cook considered himself a friend of the Hawaiians, who, like the Hawaiians, had nothing to fear.

Kalaniopuu accepted the invitation, but the king's wives begged him not to go. In the end, they managed to seat the king on the ground at the very edge of the water. At this time, the echo of shots echoed over the bay. The Hawaiians were visibly alarmed. Cook already realized that it would not be possible to bring the king to the ship. He got up and walked alone to the boat. But a Hawaiian ran into the excited crowd and shouted that the British had killed the tall chief when he tried to leave the bay in his canoe.

This was a declaration of war. Women and children disappeared. The men put on protective wicker mats, and spears, daggers, stones and clubs appeared in their hands. Cook waded into knee-deep water and turned to call the boats and order a ceasefire. At that moment, a crushing blow from a wooden club fell on his head. As he fell, another warrior stabbed him in the back with a dagger. An hour after he went ashore, Cook was dead.

Lieutenant King tried to convince the Hawaiians to return the bodies of the fallen. At night, the sentries heard the cautious sound of oars near the side of the Resolution and fired into the darkness. They narrowly missed two Hawaiians who asked permission to board. In their hands they carried a small package wrapped in tapa (tanned cloth made from tree bark). They solemnly unwrapped the tapa, and in the wavering light of the lantern the British saw with horror the bloody flesh that had apparently been cut from Cook's body.

The British were horrified by this treatment of the body of their captain; some began to suspect the Hawaiians were cannibals. And yet, Cook’s remains were treated as the bodies of the highest leaders were treated. Traditionally, Hawaiians separated the flesh from the bones of highly revered people. The bones were then tied together and buried secretly so that no one could abuse them. If the deceased was an object of great affection and respect, then the bones could be kept for some time at home. Since Cook was highly respected, parts of his body were divided among the high leaders. His head went to the king, and one of the leaders took his scalp. The terrible treatment was, in fact, the highest honor on the part of the Hawaiians.

Over the next few days the British took brutal revenge. One result of the bloodshed was that the frightened Hawaiians decided to return more of Cook's remains to the British. One of the chiefs, dressed in a ceremonial cloak of red feathers, returned the captain's hands, skull, forearms and leg bones.

On the evening of February 21, 1779, the remains of Captain James Cook were sewn up in canvas and, after a funeral prayer read by Captain Clerke, lowered into the water of the bay. The crew lowered the Union Jack and fired a ten-gun salute. Many of the sailors and infantrymen on the decks of both ships wept openly. The Hawaiians did not observe the ceremony from the shore, as the chief had placed a taboo on the bay. The next morning the British raised their sails and left the islands forever.

James Cook's achievements in the exploration of the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand and Australia radically changed ideas about the geography of the world and proved that he was the best navigator that ever lived in England.

Who is guilty?

But what really happened that morning at Kealakekua Bay? How was the battle in which Cook died?

Here is what First Officer James Burney writes: “Through binoculars we saw Captain Cook hit with a club and fall from the cliff into the water.” Bernie was most likely standing on the deck of the Discovery. And here is what the captain of the ship Clark said about the death of Cook: “It was exactly 8 o’clock when we were alarmed by a rifle salvo fired by Captain Cook’s men, and strong cries of Indians were heard. Through the telescope, I clearly saw that our people were running towards the boats, but who exactly was running, I could not see in the confused crowd.”

Eighteenth-century ships were not particularly spacious: the Clerk was unlikely to be far from Burney, but he did not see individual people. What's the matter? The participants of Cook's expedition left behind a huge amount of texts: historians count 45 manuscripts of diaries, ship's logs and notes, as well as 7 books printed in the 18th century.

But that’s not all: the ship’s log of James King (the author of the official history of the third expedition) was accidentally found in government archives in the 1970s. And not all the texts were written by members of the wardroom: the fascinating memoirs of the German Hans Zimmermann speak about the life of the sailors, and historians learned a lot of new things from a completely plagiarized book by a dropout student, John Ledyard, corporal of the Marines.

So, 45 memoirs tell about the events of the morning of February 14, and the differences between them are not purely accidental, the result of gaps in the memory of sailors trying to recreate the terrible events. What the British “saw with their own eyes” is dictated by the complex relationships on the ship: envy, patronage and loyalty, personal ambitions, rumors and slander.

The memoirs themselves were written not only out of a desire to bask in the glory of Captain Cook or to make money: the texts of the crew members are replete with insinuations, irritated hints at hiding the truth, and, in general, do not resemble the memories of old friends about a wonderful journey.

Tension in the crew had been building for a long time: it was inevitable during a long voyage on cramped ships, an abundance of orders, the wisdom of which was obvious only to the captain and his inner circle, and the expectation of inevitable hardships during the upcoming search for the Northwest Passage in polar waters. However, the conflicts spilled over into open form only once - with the participation of two heroes of the future drama in Kealakekua Bay: a duel took place in Tahiti between Marine Lieutenant Phillips and Resolution's third mate John Williamson. All that is known about the duel is that three bullets passed over the heads of its participants without causing them harm.

The character of both Irishmen was not sweet. Phillips, who suffered heroically from the Hawaiian guns (he was wounded while retreating to the boats), ended his life as a London bum, playing cards in small quantities and beating his wife. Williamson was disliked by many officers. “This is a scoundrel who was hated and feared by his subordinates, hated by his equals and despised by his superiors,” one of the midshipmen wrote in his diary.

But the crew’s hatred fell on Williamson only after Cook’s death: all eyewitnesses agree that at the very beginning of the collision the captain gave some kind of signal to Williamson’s people who were in the boats off the shore. What Cook intended to express with this unknown gesture will forever remain a mystery. The lieutenant stated that he understood it as “Save yourself, swim away!” and gave the appropriate command.

Unfortunately for him, the other officers were convinced that Cook was desperately calling for help. The sailors could provide fire support, drag the captain into the boat, or at least recapture the corpse from the Hawaiians... Williamson had a dozen officers and marines from both ships against him. Phillips, according to Ledyard's recollection, was even ready to shoot the lieutenant on the spot.

Clark (the new captain) was immediately required to investigate. However, the main witnesses (we do not know who they were - most likely the bosses on the pinnace and skiff, who were also offshore under Williamson's command) withdrew their testimony and accusations against the third mate. Did they do this sincerely, not wanting to ruin an officer who found himself in a difficult and ambiguous situation? Or were their superiors putting pressure on them? We are unlikely to know this - the sources are very scarce. In 1779, while on his deathbed, Captain Clark destroyed all papers related to the investigation.

The only fact is that the leaders of the expedition (King and Clark) decided not to blame Williamson for the death of Cook. However, rumors immediately spread on the ships that Williamson had stolen documents from Clark's locker after the captain's death, or even earlier had given brandy to all the marines and sailors so that they would remain silent about the lieutenant's cowardice upon returning to England.

The truth of these rumors cannot be confirmed: but it is important that they circulated for the reason that Williamson not only avoided the tribunal, but also succeeded in every possible way. Already in 1779 he was promoted to second, and then to first mate. His successful career in the navy was interrupted only by an incident in 1797: as captain of the Agincourt, at the Battle of Camperdown, he once again misinterpreted a signal (this time a naval one), avoided attacking enemy ships and was court-martialed for dereliction of duty. A year later he died.

In his diary, Clark describes what happened to Cook on the shore according to Phillips: the whole story boils down to the misadventures of the wounded marine, and not a word is said about the behavior of other members of the team. James King also showed favor towards Williamson: in the official history of the voyage, Cook's gesture was described as a matter of philanthropy: the captain tried to keep his people from brutally shooting the unfortunate Hawaiians. Moreover, King places the blame for the tragic collision on Marine Lieutenant Rickman, who shot a Hawaiian on the other side of the bay (which enraged the natives).

It would seem that everything is clear: the authorities are covering up the obvious culprit in Cook’s death - for some reason of their own. And then, using his connections, he makes a stunning career. However, the situation is not so clear-cut. Interestingly, the team is roughly evenly split between Williamson haters and defenders - and the composition of each group deserves close attention.

"Landing at Tanna". Painting by William Hodges. One of the characteristic episodes of contact between the British and the inhabitants of Oceania.

British Navy: hopes and disappointments

The officers of the Resolution and Discovery were not at all pleased with the great scientific significance of the expedition: most of them were ambitious young people who were not at all eager to spend their best years on the sidelines in cramped cabins. In the 18th century, promotions were mainly given by wars: at the beginning of each conflict, the “demand” for officers increased - assistants were promoted to captains, midshipmen to assistants. It is not surprising that the crew members sadly sailed from Plymouth in 1776: literally before their eyes, the conflict with the American colonists flared up, and they had to “rot” for four years in the dubious search for the Northwest Passage.

The British Navy, by the standards of the 18th century, was a relatively democratic institution: people far from power, wealth and noble blood could serve and rise to commanding heights there. To look far for examples, one can recall Cook himself, the son of a Scottish farm laborer, who began his naval career as a cabin boy on a coal-mining brig.

However, one should not think that the system automatically selected the most worthy: the price for relative democracy “at the entrance” was the dominant role of patronage. All officers built support networks, looked for loyal patrons in the command and in the Admiralty, earning a reputation for themselves. That is why the death of Cook and Clark meant that all contacts and agreements reached with the captains during the voyage went to waste.

Having reached Canton, the officers learned that the war with the rebel colonies was in full swing, and all the ships were already equipped. But no one cares much about the disastrous (the Northwest Passage was not found, Cook died) geographical expedition. “The crew felt how much they would lose in rank and wealth, and also deprived of the consolation that they were being led home by an old commander, whose known merits could help the affairs of the last voyage be heard and appreciated even in those troubled times,” King writes in in his journal (December 1779). In the 1780s, the Napoleonic War was still far away, and only a few received promotions. Many junior officers followed the example of midshipman James Trevenen and joined the Russian fleet (which, recall, fought against the Swedes and Turks in the 1780s).

In this regard, it is curious that the loudest voices against Williamson were midshipmen and mates who were at the very beginning of their careers in the navy. They missed their luck (the war with the American colonies), and even one single vacancy was a fairly valuable prize. Williamson's title (third mate) did not yet give him much opportunity to take revenge on his accusers, and his trial would create an excellent opportunity to remove a competitor. Combined with personal antipathy towards Williamson, this more than explains why he was vilified and called the main scoundrel for Cook's death. Meanwhile, many senior members of the team (Bernie, although he was a close friend of Phillips, draftsman William Ellis, Resolution first mate John Gore, Discovery master Thomas Edgar) did not find anything reprehensible in Williamson’s actions.

For approximately the same reasons (career future), in the end, part of the blame was shifted to Rickman: he was much older than most of the members of the wardroom, began his service already in 1760, “missed” the beginning of the Seven Years’ War and did not receive a promotion for 16 years. That is, he did not have strong patrons in the fleet, and his age did not allow him to form friendships with a company of young officers. As a result, Rickman turned out to be almost the only member of the team who did not receive any more titles at all.

In addition, by attacking Williamson, many officers, of course, tried to avoid awkward questions: on the morning of February 14, many of them were on the island or in boats and could have acted more proactively if they heard shots, and retreating to the ships without trying to recapture the bodies of the dead also looks suspicious. The future captain of the Bounty, William Bligh (master on the Resolution), directly accused Phillips' Marines of fleeing the battlefield. The fact that 11 of the 17 Marines on the Resolution were subjected to corporal punishment during the voyage (under Cook's personal orders) also makes one wonder how willing they were to sacrifice their lives for the captain.

But, one way or another, the authorities put an end to the proceedings: King and Clark made it clear that no one should be put on trial. Most likely, even if the trial of Williamson did not take place thanks to the influential patrons of the ambitious Irishman (even his long-time enemy Phillips refused to testify against him at the Admiralty - under the flimsy pretext that he allegedly had bad personal relations with the accused), the captains preferred to make a Solomon decision .

None of the surviving members of the crew should have become a scapegoat, guilty of the tragic death of the great captain: circumstances, vile natives and (as read between the lines of the memoirs) the arrogance and recklessness of Cook himself, who hoped almost single-handedly to take a local hostage, were to blame leader. “There is good reason to suppose that the natives would not have gone so far had not, unfortunately, Captain Cook fired upon them: a few minutes before they had begun to clear a path for the soldiers to reach that place on the shore , against which the boats stood (I have already mentioned this), thus giving Captain Cook the opportunity to get away from them,” says the Clerk’s diaries.

Now it becomes clearer why the Clerk and Bernie saw such different scenes through their telescopes. This was determined by the place in the complex system of “checks and balances”, status hierarchy and the struggle for a place in the sun, which took place on board the ships of the scientific expedition. What prevented the Clerk from seeing the captain’s death (or talking about it) was not so much the “confused crowd” as the officer’s desire to remain above the fray and ignore evidence of the guilt of individual members of the crew (many of whom were his protégés, others protégés of his London superiors).

From left to right: Daniel Solander, Joseph Banks, James Cook, John Hawksford and Lord Sandwich. Painting. Author - John Hamilton Mortimer, 1771

What is the meaning of what happened?

History is not simply objective events that happened or did not happen. We know about the past only from the stories of the participants in these events, stories that are often fragmentary, confusing and contradictory. However, one should not draw a conclusion from this about the fundamental incompatibility of individual points of view, which supposedly represent autonomous and incompatible pictures of the world. Scientists, even if they are unable to authoritatively state how “it really happened,” can find probable causes, common interests, and other solid layers of reality behind the apparent chaos of “witness testimony.”

This is what we tried to do - to unravel the network of motives a little, to discern the elements of the system that forced the team members to act, see and remember exactly this way and not otherwise.

Personal relationships, career interests. But there is another layer: the national-ethnic level. Cook's ships represented a cross-section of imperial society: representatives of peoples and, most importantly, regions, to varying degrees remote from the metropolis (London), sailed there, in which all the main issues were resolved and the process of “civilizing” the British took place. Cornish and Scots, natives of the American colonies and the West Indies, Northern England and Ireland, Germans and Welsh... Their relationships during and after the voyage, the influence of prejudices and stereotypes on what is happening, scientists have yet to understand.

But history is not a criminal investigation: the last thing I wanted was to finally identify who was responsible for the death of Captain Cook: be it the “coward” Williamson, the “inactive” sailors and marines on shore, the “evil” natives, or the “arrogant” navigator himself.

It is naive to consider Cook’s team a squad of heroes of science, “white men” in identical uniforms. This is a complex system of personal and professional relationships, with its own crises and conflict situations, passions and calculated actions. And by chance this structure explodes in dynamics with an event. Cook's death confused all the cards for the expedition members, but forced them to burst out with passionate, emotional notes and memoirs and, thus, shed light on relationships and patterns that, with a more favorable outcome of the voyage, would have remained in the darkness of obscurity.

But the death of Captain Cook can be a useful lesson in the 21st century: often only similar extraordinary events (accident, death, explosion, escape, leak) can reveal the internal structure and modus operandi of secret (or at least not publicizing their principles) organizations , be it the crew of a submarine or the diplomatic corps.

sources
A. Maksimov

The future traveler was born at the end of October 1728 in one of the villages of Yorkshire. He was born into a large family with eight children. James was the second child. His father worked as an ordinary farm laborer.

A few years later, the Cook family moved to another village, near the city of Newcastle. It was there that little James began studying at a local school. Note that at the moment this educational institution has become a museum.

Cook's father hoped that his son would engage in trade. For this reason, James was given into the service of one of the haberdashers. By this time, the future captain was already thirteen years old.

However, young Cook did not like this prospect at all. Although the proximity of the Newcastle seaport undoubtedly attracted him. The future discoverer spent hours looking at the ships and imagining how one day he would go on his first voyage.

Flight of the Haberdasher's Apprentice

Over time, the craving for the sea turned into a dream that young James decided to realize. He left his haberdashery shop and home and became a cabin boy on the Freelove ship, which transported coal to the English capital. At the same time, he began to seriously engage in his self-education. He bought the appropriate books, giving his small earnings for them. He was then a real ascetic. The sailors laughed at him. And because of this, James had to fight repeatedly to maintain his independence. He persistently continued to study navigation, geography, astronomy and mathematics. In addition, he read a huge number of descriptions of sea expeditions. At that time, the future naval commander was eighteen.

First successes

A few years later, the young man received a flattering offer - to become the captain of the Friendship ship. But he decided to refuse, becoming an ordinary sailor in the Royal Navy. He was assigned to the 60-gun ship Eagle. A month later he became a boatswain.

Meanwhile, the Seven Years' War began. Great Britain was also drawn into the conflict and fought against France. Of course, the boatswain of the Eagle ship, Cook, took a direct part in the clashes. His ship took part in the blockade of the French coast. And at the end of the spring of 1757, the Eagle fought with the ship Duke of Aquitaine. As a result, the French ship was captured. And the Eagle went to be repaired in England. So, James received a baptism of fire.

After some time, Cook was assigned to the ship Pembroke. On this ship he became a participant in the blockade of the Bay of Biscay. A little later he was sent to the eastern shores of Canada. It was then that his knowledge, which was gleaned from books and textbooks, came in handy when he was still engaged in self-education.

Cartographer

So, Cook handed over to his superiors his map of the mouth of the St. Lawrence River, compiled by him. As a result, the talented cartographer was transferred to a special corresponding ship. The purpose of the expedition is to map the coast of Labrador. The result impressed the British Admiralty. After that, Cook never took part in naval battles. He was transferred to the flagship Northumberland as a foreman. In essence, it was professional encouragement.

Meanwhile, James continued to map the river. St. Lawrence and did this until 1762. These maps were published, and Cook himself received the rank of lieutenant.

He returned to England and soon became engaged to Elizabeth Butts. Let us note right away that the couple had 6 children. Unfortunately, all of Cook's heirs died very early...

First circumnavigation expedition

From the second half of the eighteenth century, the redistribution of new territories among the great European powers began again. By this time, Spain and Portugal had left the game, but France and Great Britain were once again fighting each other to annex new lands to the Pacific.

By order of the Admiralty, Cook, having an enviable experience in cartography and navigation, set off on the first expedition around the world. His team officially began to engage in astronomical research. But these observations, in fact, were just a screen. Captain Cook was looking for new colonies, namely the Southern Continent. In those days it was called Terra Incognita.

In 1769, James Cook reached the coast of Tahiti. The captain established strict discipline in the relations of the sailors with the islanders. He categorically forbade the use of violence. Thus, provisions for the team had to be exchanged exclusively. After all, by those standards it was real nonsense. Europeans are accustomed to robbing and killing aborigines...

When the astronomical research ended, the expedition set off for New Zealand. On the west coast, the team found an unnamed bay. The bay was named after Queen Charlotte. After this, the travelers climbed to a hill. They saw that New Zealand was divided into two islands by a strait. Later this strait was named after the captain.

In 1770, the expedition approached the east coast of Australia. The navigators found several previously unknown plants there. That is why this bay was called Botanical. The following year, Cook and his colleagues returned to the UK.

Is it true that the Aborigines ate Cook? You still have to find out.

Captain's second voyage

Just a year later, James Cook led a new expedition. It is often called Antarctic. This trip, like the previous one, was directly related to the continuation of the search for the Southern Continent. Moreover, the French were very active in the southern seas.

In 1772, Cook left Plymouth, and early next year the expedition crossed the Antarctic Circle. Note that this was the first time in world history.

The team also visited Tahiti once again. It was here that the captain ordered fruits to be included in the sailors' diet. The fact is that at one time scurvy was a real scourge on any voyage. The mortality rate from it was simply catastrophic. But Cook managed to learn how to fight this disease by adding just a large amount of appropriate fruits to his diet. In fact, the navigator made a real revolution in navigation, because mortality rates from scurvy were practically reduced to zero.

After this, the expedition visited the islands of Tongatabu and Eua. The captain was amazed at the friendliness of the natives. Therefore, Cook named these territories the Friendship Islands.

Then the travelers again went to New Zealand, and then they once again had to cross the Antarctic Circle.

In 1774, Cook discovered South Georgia and New Caledonia. The following summer the team returned to their home harbor.

The Fatal Voyage of Captain Cook

In his homeland, Cook was accepted into the Royal Geographical Society. In addition, he received the prestigious gold medal and the rank of post-captain. Meanwhile, the 3rd round-the-world expedition was also being prepared. The navigator, as always, led it. In fact, this decision of the captain became fatal.

The order from the British Admiralty was as follows. Cook was ordered to search for a route from the Atlantic to the Pacific through northern North America.

In mid-1776, the ships of the titled captain left the English harbor. At the end of the same year, the sailors had already passed the Cape of Good Hope and headed towards the Australian mainland. The following year, Cook had already begun his immediate task. When the captain crossed the equator, he discovered the largest atoll on the planet. It was called Christmas Island. After three weeks on their way, the travelers came across new islands. This was Hawaii. After which the scientific squadron set off towards North America.

The expedition members passed the strait that separates America and Asia and ended up in the Chukchi Sea. Cook's ships encountered not only cold winds, but also drifting ice. It was simply impossible to go further. The captain decided to return to the warm seas.

Along the way, in the Aleutian Islands, he met Russian industrialists who showed him another, their map. The captain managed to redraw it. In addition, he named the strait separating Asia and America after the famous traveler Bering.

At the very end of the autumn of 1778, Cook's ships finally landed on the coast of the Hawaiian Islands. They were met by crowds of thousands of Aboriginal people. Apparently, the islanders mistook the captain for one of their deities...

Where did the Aborigines eat Cook? Now we will find out.

Death of the captain

Why did the Aborigines eat Cook? Is this true? Initially, the captain established very good relations with the natives. They supplied the expedition with everything necessary. True, the islanders were very surprised by the outlandish things that the team members brought with them. Actually, this morbid curiosity led to the emergence of cases of petty theft on British ships. The sailors tried to return the stolen goods, and because of this, serious clashes occurred, which became hotter every day.

In order not to aggravate the situation, Captain Cook decided to leave the islands, but the expedition encountered a severe storm. The team was forced to return. How did it happen that James Cook was eaten by the Aborigines?

Meanwhile, the attitude of the natives became too hostile. In addition, the number of thefts has increased significantly. So, pincers were stolen from the ship. Team members tried to get them back. And this attempt ended in a real military clash. And on the next fateful day, the fourteenth of February, the longboat from the flagship was stolen. Cook was determined to return the stolen goods. To do this, he and four sailors from his crew invited one of the local leaders onto the ship. The captain was going to take him with him as a hostage. But at the last moment the leader suddenly refused to go with him. By this time, thousands of aggressive Hawaiians were flocking to the shore. They surrounded the navigator and his people. A moment later, stones flew at this small detachment, one of which hit the captain himself. In self-defense, Cook shot the native. The natives were furious. Another stone hit the captain in the head. As a result, the islanders finished off the strangers with knives. The remaining companions were able to retreat to the ship and sail away.

The brilliant captain James Cook was gone. He was only fifty.

Be that as it may, the banal theft of the longboat became the impetus after which the tragic events occurred. Their disastrous result was the death of a talented captain. Moreover, eyewitnesses claim that if Cook had not shot at the Hawaiians, the fatal incident would not have occurred. According to them, the natives did not intend to attack the captain’s detachment at all. They were simply very worried about the fate of their leader.

Farewell to Captain James Cook

After the death of the captain, his assistant Charles Clarke was forced to lead the expedition. The first thing he did was conduct a special military operation. Under the cover of the ship's cannons, his detachment destroyed the settlements that were located on the shore. After this, the new captain entered into negotiations with the native leader. Clark demanded that the remains of the deceased Cook be returned. As a result, the islanders brought to the ship a basket containing several pounds of human flesh, as well as a head without a lower jaw. This is all that remained of the famous navigator.

At the end of February 1779, the captain's remains were lowered into the sea. The team lowered the flag and gave a rifle salute. The next day, the members of the infamous expedition set off on a further journey, leaving the Hawaiian Islands behind them.

They say that even before saying goodbye to the captain’s body, the Hawaiians buried part of his flesh. Moreover, separately from the bones. Such rituals are traditional for the aborigines. Moreover, they were performed exclusively with the bodies of great heroes who distinguished themselves in battles, or leaders. Perhaps this is why the islanders returned only fragments of James Cook's body to the British.

Now you will no longer have a question about why the aborigines ate Cook.

Continuation of the story about the famous Captain Cook

Having said goodbye to the islands, the orphaned expedition went north and began searching for a route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. The ships made a stop at Peter and Paul Harbor. After which the captain again wanted to break through the Chukchi Sea, but this was in vain. Clark died some time later. He was struck down by tuberculosis. He was buried in Kamchatka.

James Cook's wife lived for almost half a century after her husband's death. She died at 93. All her life she sincerely admired the captain and tried to measure everything only by his moral convictions and honor. Just before her death, she destroyed almost all correspondence with her husband and personal papers. She was buried in the family crypt in Cambridge.

But the story with Captain Cook was not over at all. In the spring of 1823, the king of Hawaii named Kamehameha II arrived with his wife on the shores of Foggy Albion. Three months later, the monarch died. But the day before, he gave the doctors an arrow with wooden feathers and an iron tip. According to the native, this bone arrow is none other than the bone of Captain Cook.

In 1886, this unique relic was transported to Australia and was kept there until recently. But the head of the Captain Cook Society, Mr. K. Thronton, verified the authenticity of this arrow. The bone was cleared with X-rays. As it became known, it could belong to a dolphin, a whale, or a human. The next step was a DNA test. However, all the captain's children died early and did not have offspring. But the relatives of the pioneer’s sister are still alive. Her name was Margaret. Some time later, Mr. Thronton stated that DNA analysis confirmed that the bone had nothing to do with the famous navigator...

Merits of Captain James Cook

Now that we have found out why the aborigines ate Cook, it is worth talking about his merits. The captain managed to make several geographical discoveries. In addition, about twenty geographical objects were named in his honor, including bays, straits and groups of islands. Also, a number of maps compiled by him served naval commanders until the second half of the nineteenth century.

It is also important that it was Cook who always tried to improve the well-being of the Aborigines. Thus, the pioneer gave sheep to the people of New Zealand. And he brought pigs and wild boars to New Caledonia. Apparently, in this way he hoped to stop cannibalism among the islanders.

The famous navigator was destined to educate a whole galaxy of famous British naval commanders. So, at one time her team included the future head of the Royal Society D. Banks, the future head of New South Wales W. Bligh, the scientist of the Pacific coast of North America D. Vancouver and many others.

In addition, a number of members of his expeditions subsequently distinguished themselves in Russian service. For example, a sailor from Cook's ship D. Billings led the Russian expedition to the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Moreover, as a captain. Another - D. Trevenen - was also in the service of the Russian Empire and took part in the war with Sweden. He died in the Vyborg naval battle. This happened in 1790.

Now you know why the aborigines ate Cook. Finally, I would like to tell you some more interesting facts:

The pioneer Cook was the first person on the planet who was able to visit all continents. Only he had never been to Antarctica.
The captain discovered the Fiji Islands. Although he himself called them “Fisi”. But the navigator mistakenly wrote down the name in the ship's log as "Fiji". However, his authority was unquestionable. Therefore, they decided to leave the erroneous name.
The captain had a best friend. We are talking about Lord Hugh Palliser. At one time he was considered an excellent sailor, then he became head of the main financial department. Hugh was the first to recognize the brilliant pioneer in Cook. He believed that the captain had an enviable instinct and common sense. However, he never lost his presence of mind. After the death of his friend, the lord created a memorial in his honor. It is located on the Palliser estate in Buckinghamshire.
Before the last voyage, an artist named Nathaniel Dance managed to paint a portrait of the captain. On the canvas, the largest explorer of Oceania is depicted with a certain map. Almost all of his geographical discoveries are depicted on it. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, it was from this portrait that the so-called Rockingham figurine was made.
In the early 30s of the 20th century, philanthropist and bookmaker M. Barnett from Christchurch decided to immortalize the legendary navigator. He managed to organize a corresponding competitive project. After that, he paid for all the work, including the sculptor’s fee, and donated the monument to the city. Since then, the sculpture has been located in Victoria Square.
The command module of the Apollo 15B spacecraft was named Endeavor. This was Captain Cook's first ship. By the way, one of the “space shuttles” was also called by this name at one time.
In 1935, one of the lunar craters was named after the famous navigator.

On February 14, 1779, on the island of Hawaii, during an unexpected skirmish with the natives, Captain James Cook (1728-1779), one of the greatest discoverers of new lands who lived in the 18th century, was killed. No one knows what really happened that morning at Kealakekua Bay. It is known, however, that the Hawaiians did not eat Cook, contrary to Vysotsky’s famous song: it was customary for the natives to bury especially important people in a special way. The bones were buried in a secret place, and the meat was returned to the captain’s “relatives.” Historians argue whether the Hawaiians considered Cook a god (more precisely, the incarnation of the deity of abundance and agriculture, Lono) or simply an arrogant stranger.

But we will talk about something else: how did the team even allow the death of their captain? How did envy, anger, pride, criminal relationships, cowardice and passivity lead to a tragic set of circumstances? Fortunately (and unfortunately), more than 40 conflicting accounts of Cook's death have survived: this does not make it possible to clearly clarify the course of events, but it tells in detail about the motives and motivations of the team. About how the death of one captain blew up the ship's microcosm of the heroic navigators of the 18th century - in the historical investigation of Lenta.ru.

Encounter with the Hawaiians

The background is as follows: Cook's third circumnavigation of the world began in 1776. With the Resolution and Discovery, the British were to find the Northwest Passage: a waterway north of Canada connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Having rounded southern Africa, the sailors sailed to New Zealand and from there headed north, discovering the Hawaiian Islands along the way (in January 1778). Having regained strength, the expedition set off for Alaska and Chukotka, but continuous ice and the approach of winter forced Cook to return to Hawaii (December-January 1779).

The Hawaiians greeted the British sailors very cordially. However, over time, the free treatment of local women and the overly active replenishment of water and food supplies aroused discontent, and on February 4 Cook decided to prudently set sail. Alas, that same night a storm damaged the Resolution's foremast, and the ships returned to Kealakekua Bay. Openly hostile Hawaiians stole tongs from one of the ships: in retaliation, the British stole a canoe, which they refused to return as a result of negotiations.

Then, on February 14, a longboat disappeared from the Resolution: and then Cook armed himself with a gun and, together with a detachment of ten marines (led by Lieutenant Molesworth Phillips), demanded one of the local leaders to come to the ship (either as a hostage, or, more likely to conduct negotiations in a more relaxed atmosphere).
At first the leader agreed, then, yielding to his wife’s pleas, he refused to go. Meanwhile, thousands of armed Hawaiians gathered on the shore and pushed Cook back to the shore. For some unknown reason, the crowd began to take active action, and in the ensuing confusion, someone hit Cook on the back with a stick. The captain fired in retaliation, but did not kill the Hawaiian - and then the natives rushed at the British from all sides.

Already in the water, Cook was hit in the back with a spear or throwing dagger, and the captain (along with several sailors) died. Cook's body was dragged ashore, and the British retreated disorderly to the ships.

After another fight, negotiations took place, which ended in peace: the Hawaiians ceremonially returned Cook's body (in the form of pieces of meat), which infuriated the crew. An error in intercultural communication (the British did not understand that the locals had buried the captain with maximum dignity) led to a punitive raid: the coastal settlement was burned, the Hawaiians were killed, and the islanders eventually returned the remaining parts of Cook's body, buried at sea on February 21. The position of head of the expedition passed to the captain of the Discovery, Charles Clerk, and when he died of tuberculosis off Kamchatka, to the second mate of the Resolution, James King.

Who is guilty?

But what really happened that morning at Kealakekua Bay? How was the battle in which Cook died?

Tension in the crew had been building for a long time: it was inevitable during a long voyage on cramped ships, an abundance of orders, the wisdom of which was obvious only to the captain and his inner circle, and the expectation of inevitable hardships during the upcoming search for the Northwest Passage in polar waters. However, the conflicts spilled over into open form only once - with the participation of two heroes of the future drama in Kealakekua Bay: a duel took place in Tahiti between Marine Lieutenant Phillips and Resolution third mate John Williamson. All that is known about the duel is that three bullets passed over the heads of its participants without causing them harm.

British Navy: hopes and disappointments

However, one should not think that the system automatically selected the most worthy: the price for relative democracy “at the entrance” was the dominant role of patronage. All officers built support networks, looked for loyal patrons in the team and in the Admiralty, earning a reputation for themselves. That is why the death of Cook and Clark meant that all contacts and agreements reached with the captains during the voyage went to waste.

What is the meaning of what happened?

History is not just objective events that happened or did not happen. We know about the past only from the stories of the participants in these events, stories that are often fragmentary, confusing and contradictory. However, one should not draw a conclusion from this about the fundamental incompatibility of individual points of view, which supposedly represent autonomous and incompatible pictures of the world. Scientists, even if they are unable to authoritatively state how “it really happened,” can find probable causes, common interests, and other solid layers of reality behind the apparent chaos of “witness testimony.”